LSU offensive tackle, former Razorbacks target expected to enter transfer portal

Can Hogs' new emphasis on Arkansas athletes pay off to bring Tigers' star freshman in fold?

LSU Tigers offensive lineman Carius Curne (57) waits for the snap during the fourth quarter against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — While the dust continues to settle on Lane Kiffin's move from Ole Miss to LSU, it left a wake as the Tigers lost arguably their best young option along the offensive line in Carius Curne.

The Marion native was once committed to the Razorbacks under previous coach Sam Pittman, but his former offensive line coach Brad Davis convinced him to head south for Baton Rouge where he eventually signed and played in nine games this season.

BREAKING: LSU true freshman OL Carius Curne plans to enter the @TransferPortal, source tells @On3Sports

He played in 7 games and had starts at both left and right tackle this season

Curne was ranked as a Five-Star Recruit in the 2025 Class (per Rivals)⁰https://t.co/RlUbB6Fk7q pic.twitter.com/0W6iC9u2le

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 17, 2025

As a recruit, Curne was considered a 4-star prospect, ranked No. 67 nationally, No. 3 among interior offensive linemen and No. 1 player in Arkansas by 247Sports. He is expected to draw plenty of suitors while in the portal as he sits No. 5 among those who've announced their transfer candidacy.

Coming out of high school, he fielded offers from Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisville, Mississippi State, Missouri, Tennessee, Ole Miss, SMU, Memphis and many others.

Curne's decision comes at a time when Kiffin decided to cause a massive coaching staff shake-up on the offensive side, including Davis' departure as offensive line coach.

With such coaching uncertainty, there is expected to be more turnover out of the Tigers' program and there's plenty reason to believe that will be the case with Curne's exit.

While Curne didn't play in the early portions of the schedule, he started five of his seven appearances. Although he started off strong against Group of Five programs, his productivity fell off a bit once he entered SEC play, like many freshmen historically have.

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Ryan Silverfield visiting with fans at basketball game against Fresno State at Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock, Ark. | Ted McClenning-allHOGS Images

He played 305 snaps as a true freshman, allowing just three sacks and 11 quarterback pressures during the 2025 season. The Arkansas native was slowed a bit with various injuries that forced him to miss five games and part of the Texas A&M loss.

Silverfield's in-state emphasis

In recent years, Arkansas has played the game of losing out on in-state talent while trying to lure them away in the transfer portal after one season. That plan did work out previously in landing Courtney Crutchfield, Timothy Dawn, Jacolby Criswell, Terry Hampton, and Landon Jackson (Texarkana, Texas) out of the portal.

Now, Silverfield is focused on getting those in-state stars right away out of high school, including winning his fanbase over by flipping several 4-stars such as defensive lineman Danny Beale, running back TJ Hodges and defensive lineman Anthony Kennedy.

Those three could play a huge role in a significant rebrand for the Razorbacks and Silverfield understood that right away upon his hiring.

"From the moment I stepped foot, getting the recruits, the right ones, getting some of these great ones in state to stay at home," Silverfield said at his introductory press conference. "That was important to me and I know that’s important to our great fans."

Arkansas Razorbacks linebacker Tavian Wallace lining up on special teams in game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville, Ark. | Ted McClenning-allHOGS Images

Outgoing Transfers

LB Tavion Wallace, No. 65 ranked transfer
OL Shaq McRoy, No. 180 ranked transfer
DB KeShawn Davila, No. 224 ranked transfer

The Razorbacks have seen roster transactions in the 40s over the previous three years, but Silverfield appears to have countered that activity without many early exits.

Arkansas currently has roughly 34 players signed for next season between incoming freshmen and several from last year's team announcing their return. Fans can keep up with the fully customized Razorbacks offseason tracker that keeps up with roster additions, coaching staff hires, portal offers, and departures.